"We'll take a cup of kindness yet ..."

I'm not doing very well with the updating, huh.

I've been "retiring" to my bed before 9 PM these last few nights ... I think to try and recover from the past week. It's been a damn doozy.

Last Friday (the 23rd for those of you taking notes) at 8:30 AM, we got a call from Shady Acres saying that Grandma F had fallen again. They were suspecting a broken hip, so an ambulance was called and she was taken to the ER. Jimmy and I got there as quick as we could, and there we stayed. My sisters were in town for Christmas, as well as my niece ... but hopefully everyone understood the seriousness of the situation. Brandy and Adam saved the day by getting snacks and dinner going for everybody before we got home. (Thanks, you two. xoxo)

There was no broken hip, but they did find extensive pneumonia in both lungs, a urinary tract infection ... and, after watching her choke everytime she tried to swallow anything, they said "nothing by mouth" until more tests could be done. She was a sick little thing for those first few days in the hospital. It was determined she was aspirating food and drink ... swallowing down her windpipe instead of her ... uhh ... food pipe. So now she can only have liquids that have been thickened. Which is really gross. Imagine you are sooo thirsty, and would kill for a nice cold glass of water. That was Grandma F in the hospital on Day 3. And what did she get? A nice cold cup of iced tea ... thickened to the consistency of buttermilk. Yum. Her food must also be a cooked to a soft, mushy state.

To cut to the chase ... yesterday, we moved her into a "skilled nursing care facility". Nursing Home, for short. I learned a lot about how the whole nursing home game works this week. Long story short: You go where they tell you to go. There's hardly ever an open bed at the "nice" places, and even the nice places are still nursing homes. Grandma F now lives at "Dogwood Acres" ... no, that's not the real name. Just trying to be safe here.

She shares a room there ... with "Ada". Ada says the same 4 sentences over and over again. Only it's all new to Ada. And even though half of the room belongs to Grandma, Ada takes just a leeeetle bit more than her half ... and she thinks she gets to decide on the lighting at night, and the temperature in the room. Pushy old thing, she is. The lady next door likes to yell for HELP. A lot. And Grandma is lying in her bed, with an oxygen tube in her nose ... asking for something to drink that's not thick. :-(

We took her clothing and some personal items over there today ... hung a few pictures on the wall. My heart is broken for her. She has 2 pressure sores from her stay in the hospital ... or maybe they were already starting at the assisted living place, I don't know. One is on her tailbone, and one is on her heel. The wound care nurse put her foot in a special boot to keep anything from touching the heel ... it's lined with sheepskin, and yet it still looks uncomfortable. Grandma said it was nice when the nurse put it on last night ... but today, she hated it.

She started talking today about letting Jimmy and Michael sell her belongings a little at the time, so she could have money to live on. I gave my usual answer ... "You don't need to worry over that. Let Jimmy and Michael take care of that." She said, "Well, I know they will ... but they need my help to think straight!" I said, "Yes ma'am, you are correct on that one." ;-)

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Christmas was a blur of hospital rooms and cooking and not enough time to do everything I wanted to. I'm sorry, y'all. I'll do better next time. I promise.

Thank you for the wonderful gifts ...

Emilie: "The Wizard Of Oz" Collector's Edition DVD Set
Adam & Brandy: Indigo Girls "Rarities" CD, a Microplane zester/grater, Dave Matthews Band "Stand Up" CD, and a Lampe Berger scent lamp, with 2 bottles of oil
Mama: A new purse (SURPRISE!), and a little crystal platter that was a wedding gift to her and Daddy back in 1955.
Kay: Indigo Girls "Rarities" CD (2 CD's means twice the fun!), and a Ragdoll Cat Calendar
Beth: A glass hurricane candle holder, with 2 candles
Josh and Lynda: Il Divo CD
Laura and Melody: Flannel PJs and some soft socks
Nena: Southern Living cookbook, a candle holder, and some homemade pear preserves
Michael and Patti: A really pretty bowl
Jimmy: A Sleep Number Bed

I bet I forgot something.

I haven't had a chance to even look at everything a 2nd time yet ... but I have been sleeping on air for the last few nights. :-)

Happy New Year, everybody. May 2006 bring us all love and blessings.